Conspiring For Happiness
by Dream-Like-State
Summary: “You know, Helena, we don’t HAVE to marry those dolts.” Alice tells me, eyes just screaming conspiracy. But what happens when they DO get free? Chaos, I tell you, complete and utter Chaos. Oc/AdrianPucy Oc/MarcusFlint Oc/OliverWood NEW SUMMARY
1. The Conspiracy

**Okay, so I decided to write this randomly, because I really wanted and Oliver Wood/OC story... but it kind of developed. The POV may possibly change from time to time, just o give different perspectives, but mostly, it'll be Helena's POV. **

**Note this, I have made it so that Harry Potter and co. are only three years younger (they're in 4th year) and also that the threat of Voldemort isn't real, as he was defeated by Lily's love when Harry was one. No Voldemort. But the pureblood prejudice still remains. Very muchly so. ENJOY!**

**Chapter One**

"Hey, wait, just a second." His hand stops me from leaving and I turn to face him with a curious expression on my face. "Thanks for the help with Charms. I was never any good at them." He says sincerely. "But I need one more favour."

I blink at him owlishly. "Fire away." His blue eyes study mine and he runs a hand through his dark hair. I could stare at him for years and not run out of things to marvel at.

"Can you get Hostin down here? Marcus and I – we've got some business to sort with her." I frown, but nod. "See you later?" He asks almost shyly.

"Yeah." I say quietly. I turn to leave, only his hand is still on my arm. "Adrian..." I say tiredly. "You've got to let me go now." There's a double meaning behind it, and I'm not entirely sure he didn't catch it. "Alice'll be down soon."

He swoops in for a kiss and I turn my head to the side, his lips meeting my cheek. I can tell he's slightly confused at this. He'd asked about my unusually quiet behaviour earlier, and only received some rubbish excuse. "Right, bye Helena." He says, letting my arm go. I cast him one more glance before I head up the stairs and into our room, giving him a weak smile.

I stand beside Alice's bed, watching as she slept soundly. That needed to be changed. "Alice." I say sharply, looking around and making sure not to wake our other roommate – Emily Julius. Alice continues to sleep and I roll my eyes. "HOSTIN! Get your arse up, right NOW!" I bark. This gets me two groans.

"Hell, shut UP!" Emily says from her bed across the room. I scowl at her use of my nickname and stick up my middle finger. I hate my nickname, Hell. But according to everyone else, it suits me _very_ well.

"Alice..." I say quietly, nudging her. "Get up, Flint and Pucey want to see you – now." Her head of blonde hair pops up from underneath her pillow and she peeks at the clock, groaning at the floating numbers and flopping back down on her pillow. "Yes, I know, two o'clock in the morning isn't exactly suitable, but you can sleep in." I say as hauls herself out of bed.

"What do they want?" She scowls at me and I shrug. "At _two o'clock in the morning_?"She grumbles and rolls her eyes, pulling on her purple bath robe. "Don't wait up." She says sarcastically, with a slight smile, leaving with the quiet sound of a closing door behind her.

I sigh and find myself far too awake to go get any sleep. I walk over to the small desk and light up a candle, waving my wand at Emily's bed, closing her curtains close and placing a silencing spell around the bed so _she _can get some sleep.

Taking out a piece of parchment and a quill, I sit myself down and start writing. This is it. The letter telling Adrian that I can't. That things have to change. I had been planning to write this letter for weeks now, as our relationship would have to end. Better off sooner, rather than later, as the saying goes.

_Dear Adrian, _

I begin to hate myself with every word, and push my deep mahogany hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. I need to be able to concentrate.

_I guess this is it. You've known it to be coming for a while now. But I just can't continue on with you anymore. Our end will meet us eventually and I think that to save some of the heartbreak I know is coming, it would be better to end it now. We need to sever the attachment before it's too late._

_I'm sorry it has to be this way, but trust me when I say it's easier for the both of us. You should just hate me. Stop loving me, and I should do the same for you. Please, for the sake of our lives, just let me pass you in the hall. No more closets. No more midnight rendezvous. No more soft kisses or passionate embraces. I promise that one day, the pain will cease, as will we. Don't dwell on what was and can never be, Adrian. _

_But there is one thing I ask of you. If you ever get a choice – for I know I will not – choose the right path for yourself and fight with the light. Forget the prejudices, the Dark Lord. Forget what he believes and make your own decisions. Please, for me, Adrian, save your soul and fight with the winning side. You are a good man, I know it._

_Sincerely,_

I can't bring myself to sign it. My poetic piece of absolute bullshit. It's all a lie. I would never forget Adrian. I would never, ever, stop loving him. But it's for the best. There's no way we can win this fight. Everything's against us on this.

I look toward the floating numbers and notice it's been two hours since Alice left. Four o'clock in the morning. I wipe the tears away and wonder what has taken Alice this long. But speak of the devil and the devil shall appear, apparently.

"About time." I say airily, hoping I sound happy and not the way I'm really feeling; dead. "What did _you three_ get up to?" I ask suggestively.

She lets out a small chuckle. It sounds kind of evil. "Let's just say that Oliver Wood will _not _be a fan of me." She has an air of satisfaction about her as she says this. I look at her suspiciously. "You'll find out tomorrow at the quidditch game." She smirks. Oliver Wood. Her long time 'enemy'. Personally, I've always thought it was just sexual tension between them. Not real hatred.

I roll my eyes and my lips twitch up in a smile. "So, uh, how was Adri- I mean, Pucey? And Flint?" I ask casually, though my cheeks flush as she gives me a hard look. I glance down at my letter with hatred, it is now the bane of my existence. "You didn't notice anything wrong with him tonight, did you?"

"No, he seemed okay to me. Marcus was... excited." She says fondly, falling back on her bed and staring at me. She waltzes over to the desk, picking up the letter and settling back onto my bed. She gives it a skim and frowns at me. "Hell," She sighs. "When are you going to accept that there's no bloody way that you'll marry Montague? I won't let you, and I'm sure Adrian won't let you, either. You and Adrian were _made_ for each other." Ah, my betrothed. Montague.

He's a beastly thing. All muscle and no brain. I'd always hated him and when I was thirteen, I'd found out we were to be married. Of course, him being a year older than me, he's already tried to screw me. I was fifteen and I'd ended up with a broken arm when I refused. "No, I can't do that." I say quickly. She knows I'm scared. Our eyes meet; her green ones against my brown eyes.

"I never said you had to _tell_ the oaf. Only that you and Adrian should be together." She replies coolly, yawning.

I sigh and she looks up at me, sitting up and crossing her legs. "I always thought that my parents knew what was best. The plan has always been to go through with the marriage." I take a deep breath, not entirely sure I'm ready to admit this to her, let alone _myself_. "But now, I don't know if I can. Not now that I've fallen in love." Her eyes widen. I'm guessing she wasn't expecting that. "But," I continue. "I can't _not_ go through with it. My father –" I falter. She doesn't need me to explain. We both know what would happen.

Alice gets up from her bed and wraps her arms around me as hot tears sting at my eyes. She gives off a sigh, not really knowing what to say. "Well, at least Nott and Montague are good friends. We'll still see each other. I'll be there for you, no matter what, Hell." She sooths. Alice is due to become Mrs. Theodore Nott. When he graduates the year after us. For some reason, I'd trade Montague for Nott any day.

"At least Nott isn't a brainless idiot." I sniff. She laughs.

"At least Montague is _older_ than you. I have to marry a snivelling little brat." I laugh and she gives me another squeeze. We sit like this for a good ten minutes, deep in thought. Merlin only knows what she's thinking about. But my mind just can't seem to stop bringing up Adrian's face – slightly hurt from the rejection.

"You know, Helena, we don't _have_ to go through with it." Alice tells me airily. Her eyes are just screaming conspiracy.

I shake my head sadly. "It's in our best interest, though, isn't it?" She makes a face. "It would be counted as a betrayal against all purebloods. We'd be hunted down and punished severely." I always seem to be the voice of reason with her around. "Sorry, Alice, but there's no way we can avoid it."

Alice looks at me sadly, her brows furrowing as she thinks, perching herself back on her bed. Suddenly, her eyes light up and I know she's got another hair brained plot to get us out of it. Another plot I'm going to have to ruin. "What about Dumbledore?" She asks excitedly. I raise an eyebrow. "We could explain the situation to him. He could help us, Helena. Don't you see the brilliance of it? He'd get us out of here... maybe into the Muggle world, and he'd find us a willing person to help us out, no doubt. It's brilliant."

I hate being the one to stamp on her parade. "What about school? How are we meant to finish school? We'd be under age in the muggle world." I state. "Not to mention getting a job. We'd be useless."

She frowns, but her eyes light up again. "Look, I've heard about home schooling. Maybe, just maybe we could go somewhere out of the country and Adrian could come and you two could elope, and we could have a tutor from the magical world visit us once a week and teach us, while we're enrolled at a muggle school. We'd need a guardian, of course." She's pacing now. "Maybe one of the teachers or something. Dumbledore would know. We'd go to muggle school during the day, and do an hour of magic each night. Besides, we've learnt most of what we need, anyway."

"But," I begin. "We don't know _anything_ what so ever about being a muggle." I dampen her parade again. "Even with a muggleborn student or someone, they've probably spent most of their adult lives being magic." I reason. Her shoulders slump and I find myself wanting to comfort her. "Suppose we put it to Dumbledore tomorrow. He _might_ be able to organise it. But we can't get our hopes up too high." I muse quietly.

Alice looks up, grinning. "I knew you'd want to give it a shot." She hugs me. I smile and she releases me, throwing off her dressing gown with a yawn. "I think I'm going to need sleep if I want to speak to Dumbledore tomorrow, though. In to be with you, too, Hell." She says, slipping under the blanket.

I do the same, after folding the letter and hiding it in my desk drawer, unsigned.


	2. Quidditch and Horses

**Chapter two**

We walk down the corridors, yawning every third step we take. Saturday morning, at nine o'clock was _not_ a good time to be awake. Especially after the night we'd had. Going to bed at about four in the morning was an equally bad idea.

We arrive at the entrance to Dumbledore's office and realise how unprepared we are. "Shit." I mutter. "What's the password?"

"How would I know?" She replies. We're about to turn around and go back down to the dungeons, when Dumbledore himself appears in front of us, having walked up behind us.

"The password, girls, is Dufflecake." He says, and the statue moves away. We step on to the circular stairs taking us up to the office. In all my years at Hogwarts, I'd only been up here twice. It will never cease to amaze me. He sits down behind his desk, gesturing for us to take a seat. We follow his instruction and he smiles at us over his half moon glasses. "Now, what can I do for you?"

I look to Alice and she stands. "Can anyone else hear us? This must be kept between us, sir." She says respectfully. He nods and she continues. "Well, uh, Helena and I –" She looks at me and I give her a nod.

"You want to leave." He says. We look up at him, surprised. How on earth did he know? He chuckles and weaves his fingers together. "Don't look so surprised, Miss Hostin, Miss Valliante. I have dealt with things like this for many years." He says kindly.

"Do you know everything, then?" Alice asks, forward as usual. I blink at them both and wait for things to unfold.

Dumbledore laughs again. "Now, girls, I do not know everything about your predicament. But I know enough." He says, his eyes twinkling. "If you'd like to tell me, then I'd be happy to listen and oblige your requests as well as I can." His head tilts to the side to tell us he's listening.

"Headmaster, you know about our arranged marriages, yes?" He nods. "Well, we don't particularly want to take part in them... for different reasons, which are really the same, but different. Does that make sense?" He simply nods at her ramblings. "Well, we want to leave here, but continue our education and perhaps live in the muggle world, where they can't find us." I can tell she's nervous. Her eyes are darting around, and she can't keep her fingers still. Over the years I've known her, I seem to be the only one to pick this up.

"Sit down, Miss Hostin." He instructs. She obliges and we both stare at our aging headmaster. "I know you two are... eager to get out of this. And I fully support you." He pauses and I know what's coming. "However," See? Didn't I tell you? "I know you are not ready to venture out into the muggle world." My shoulders slump and I don't need to look over to her to know that Alice has also taken on the same position. "And I am willing to help you get ready." Our heads snap up, hope fluttering into our eyes.

"You will?" I ask, a small smile forming on my face.

He chuckles and my grin widens. "Yes, I will be making arrangements. When you confirm your determination to go through with the plan." Alice cocks her head to the side and I sit down, looking confused. "I expect you haven't thought this through properly and perhaps you aren't ready for such a big move." He says, looking at us squarely. "I _will_ make arrangements, Miss Hostin, do not fear. But if you decide to go through with this, you must be absolutely certain."

We blink at him. "But we can't stay!" Alice stands up in outrage. "You don't have any idea how hard living like this is! Helena has to marry some big oaf and give up the love of her life – and I have to marry some other kid, too! They're ruining our lives! Can't you see that?" Her green eyes are flashing in anger.

"Calm down, Alice." I say, pulling her back. "Headmaster, with all due respect, we know we want to go through with this." I say calmly.

He smiles at us. "You may be ready, Miss Valliante. But are the others ready? I suspect a Mr. Pucey knows nothing of this plan. And perhaps there are others, as well, who would like to get out. Your other roommate, maybe?" He must know everything.

I nod. "I see. You will have our decision within the week." I say. "Have a good day, Headmaster."

"I shall see you both at the quidditch match in an hour." He smiles. We leave his office and go back to the dungeons, getting changed into some better clothing – preferably green and silver.

"Wait until you see it, Hell." Alice gushes as we walk toward the stands. "It's going to be hilarious." I roll my eyes fondly as we begin climbing the stairs. She chatters gleefully until we reach our seats.

The Slytherins come out first, dressed in their green and silver robes. "Captain Marcus Flint flying at the head of the snake pack, leading the Slytherins to what will probably be a brutal match!" the commentator exclaims. We cheer loudly and Alice grips my arm in excitement. "And leading the mighty Gryffindors is Captain Oliver Wood!" More cheers erupt as they fly out.

I watched carefully as they flew out, a smirk on my face. My eyes darted to Adrian to see him snickering next to Flint. I waited for it, looking particularly at Oliver Wood – he would be Alice's main target. I looked at her confusedly and she just kept smirking. I took that as code for 'keep watching, it's coming'.

I took her coded advice and looked on as they lined up for the whistle, getting prepared to go into action. The whistle blows and Alice's grin widens. I watch as suddenly all of the clothes on the male Gryffindors of the quidditch team disappear.

"And it appears the Gryffindor lads have lost their clothing!" The commentator cries, shielding his own eyes and diving to the ground. "Oh, Merlin, NO!" He screams.

Screams erupt as the guys cover their eyes – minus a few of them, presumably gay – and all the girls gape, scream and wolf whistle. I look away, smirking and laughing, my eyes landing on a gaping Alice. I follow her line of vision to Oliver Wood. And promptly begin cackling with laughter.

"He's-he's... _huge_." She mutters. I smirk at her. See? Sexual tension. "Hung like a horse!" This is said loudly and she immediately regrets it. Her cheeks flush and she manages to look away. "Shit."

The quidditch players are clutching themselves and trying to cover their nakedness. All except their captain, who simply dismounts and walks calmly into the change rooms, followed by his embarrassed team.

"Everybody CALM DOWN!" McGonagall yells into the microphone. "This quidditch match has been postponed. You will be informed when it can be resumed. Dismissed." Oh, she's angry. I can tell by the red tinge in her cheeks and the extra 'down on her frown', as Marcus Flint would so rightly put it.

"Well, that went wonderfully." I laugh. Alice flushes more and I just can't seem to stop grinning all the way back to the common room. "I bet all the girls enjoyed that one... but it can't be a total loss. McGonagall looked like she was going to have a fit!" I say cheerily.

She scowls. "I can't _believe_ I said that. Do you think anyone heard?" She's worried now.

I shrug. "Oh well, if anyone heard you say it, I'm sure they won't give you too much crap about it... they were probably thinking the same thing." I laugh and she chuckles, her cheeks still quite red.

That was when the quidditch players chose to enter, smirks plastered everywhere. Marcus and Adrian approach us, grinning. "Nice one, Hostin." Marcus remarks, messing her blonde hair up.

Alice swipes at his hand. "It didn't really have the effect we wanted." She says, though her smirk is firmly in place.

Adrian laughs and I look at him and look away quickly. "Well, they may have a few more fans, but at least they're a little embarrassed. Some of them have _reason_ to be embarrassed, too." He laughs. Marcus grins. "But Merlin, did you see some of them?! I reckon _you_ enjoyed _that_, Valliante."

I put on a fake smile, though Alice and Marcus knew about us. It was just a show for the rest. "Oh, definitely. I loved seeing them shrivel in the cold." I remark dryly. They all laugh and a smile sweetly at Adrian, who smirks at me proudly. My heart skips a beat.

"Well, ladies, we might go and get changed." Marcus says, gesturing toward the stairs leading toward the boys' dorms. "But when we get back, would you lovely ladies like to head down to the lake for some celebrations?" He asks. We grin, knowing there's going to be some fire whiskey involved and nod. "Excellent." He smiles at us, showing off his straight teeth and the two head up to their dorms, leaving us looking at each other.

"Yeah, I think we should change, too, Hell." Alice says airily. Yes, Slytherins do _airy_. "Need to make ourselves pretty." She says quietly, smirking at me. I roll my eyes and she pulls me up the stairs. She just _loves_ to make me look good for Adrian. I think it's her favourite torture device.

We open the door to Emily sitting on her bed, reading a gigantic text book. Alice raises her eyebrow and swiftly pulls the book from her hands, ignoring her indignant "Hey!" of disapproval.

"Dear, dear, what have we here?" Alice asks, smirking. Emily rolls her eyes and pulls the book back to her. Alice grins. "You are such a nerd. When are you going to leave this room and come party with us?" She sounds slightly arrogant as she says this, but Emily smiles.

"Well, I happen to _like_ reading." She says snottily, though she's grinning. "Unlike you two brainless idiots." We scoff in unison and she tucks the book away in her trunk. "So, what's this about a party?"

**Let me know what you think. =]**


	3. The Twist

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while... it's so sad... My USB disk has snapped in half and... well, it's very upsetting because it had everything on it! EVERYTHING! Including my year 12 assignments... :(**

**Anywho, just a short one today. Enjoy.**

**Chapter Three**

We sit beside the lake, under a large willow tree. The long stems of leaves caress the top of our heads, blocking out the sun for all of its painful rays. I yawn and stretch out after taking a swig of the burning fire whiskey.

"You know," Emily states, looking out at the lake. Her blue eyes are slightly glazed over with her half inebriated state. "The lake is looking really good right now." Her words are insane, but I realise she's right as we look out upon the flat surface of the water, the sun reflecting off it.

"So, why don't you go for a swim, Julius?" Marcus Flint teases, knowing full well that she won't. "Or are you too much of a chicken?"

Her head whips around to glare at Marcus. Okay, so maybe she _will_ do it. "Is that a challenge, Flint?" He shrugs innocently and she stands. "Right, then. Are you coming to join me?"

"Ladies first." He says cockily, standing from his position.

The thing about Emily and Marcus is that they've never really gotten on. Emily thinks Marcus is a brainless idiot. Marcus thinks Emily is a nerdy bore. They'd hated each other up until fourth year, when Emily had grown to respect Marcus after he'd recued her from one of her father's little 'chats'.

Emily's father, Elcorem Julius is a bastard. He always has been. A bitter man who had taken out his anger on his daughter constantly. He'd also dealt with his 'passion' using Emily. That day, he had come for a fatherly visit and pulled her into an empty classroom, where he had been fuelled by anger. Marcus had walked in on the fourth blow. Since then, I think she's had a bit of a crush on him... though she'd die before admitting it.

It had actually gotten quite bad between them before that day. It had gotten so bad at one stage, that they were hexing each other daily. Of course, Emily always won. One of her worst hexes being when she gave him horribly crooked teeth for about four weeks. Marcus had once managed to give her giant feet for three days, but she'd found a counter spell quickly enough. It had been an all out war between them.

"Emily..." I groan, rolling my eyes. "Don't do it, Em, you'll catch your death."

She cocks an eyebrow in challenge. "What? Like I'm afraid of a little cold. Madam Pomfrey will fix me in a jiffy." She strips off her jumper, throwing it at me as I sigh.

"Wait!" Alice stands up, pulling her own jumper over her head. "I could go for a dip, too."

I roll my eyes and sigh loudly. "Honestly, you'll just come straight back out as soon as you get in. Really, there's no point." I object loudly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Oh, come on, Valliante. You know you want to join us." Adrian says, divesting himself of his own shirt. I blush at his bare chest – something I'd seen plenty of times before when we'd gotten – err, anyways...

"Yeah, c'mon, Helena. Be a Slytherin!" Alice eggs me on.

I roll my eyes. "You bloody dolt, _Gryffindors_ are the brave ones." Marcus barks with laughter. "Sorry, I think I'll keep myself warm and comfortable." I lean back again, closing my eyes. "Just hurry up and get your Gryffindor moment over and done with."

There is a moment of silence, and I cautiously open my eyes, only to scream as they pounce. Adrian has me by the ankles and Marcus has my arms. I struggle, screaming my protests. "You bloody bastards! You put me down!" I yell. Alice and Emily are doubled over in laughter as they swing me three times, before letting go, leaving me to plummet into the lake.

The first thing to register in my head is one word; cold. COLD. I scream under the water, thrashing wildly until I reach the surface. "I HATE YOU!" I yell. They just laugh. I swim close enough to stand up and put my hands on my hips. "You,_ all_ of you, are going to die." I huff, before dragging myself out of the lake.

Suddenly, Emily wolf whistles loudly, looking off somewhere behind us. "Hey, Wood!" She jogs out into view as the Gryffindor turns around. "Nice arse!" She announces.

He grins, though his cheeks flush slightly. "Thanks. I'd say the same about you, sweetheart!" Wood laughs. Emily grins at him and he shakes his head, walking off to where his destination would have been before the interruption.

We all look at Emily strangely as she turns back us. "What?" She asks. "Oh, come _on_. You can't tell me you didn't look." Her eyes are alight with mischief as she says this. "The bloke is... well, he's smouldering!" She announces airily. "I _know_ you looked. Who wouldn't? Just because he's a Gryffindor, doesn't mean I can't engage in flirting." She sniffs matter-of-factly.

"B-but, he's _Oliver Wood_. Annoying prat. As if you'd flirt with him!" Alice exclaims. I roll my eyes and share a look with Emily.

"He's not as good looking as I am, though!" Marcus grins triumphantly.

Emily snorts. "Yeah... sure, Flint. Whatever helps you sleep at night." She laughs. He's about to retort but she changes the subject quickly. "Anyway, so, who's up for that swim?" They all agree, minus me, as I glare at them.

"Oh, c'mon, Hells, now that you're already wet, you might as well join us." Alice says, headed for the water herself. "It's not like you've got anything better to do."

Oh, so that's how she wants to play it? "Well, actually. I really ought to be going now. I've got something better to do than hang out with a bunch of wannabe Gryffindors." I sniff haughtily and stand up, flicking my wand at myself. My body warms up and my clothes are dry again, as I walk off, much to the amusement of everyone else.

"Bloody prats." I grumble as I head for the common room. I'm intercepted just as I reach the dungeons by Malfoy. He stops me in the hall. "What do you want?" I ask testily.

"Don't get your knickers in a knot." He sneers. Bloody rat. "Snape wants to see you. Said something about family matters." He informs. "See you around, Valliante." He stalks off in the direction I had been coming and I continue the way he came, headed for Snape's office.

I knock quietly and his voice rings out from inside. "Enter." I do as I'm told and he stands up. "Valliante. Excellent. I just sent Mr. Malfoy to get you. Have a seat." He instructs.

"Sir, he said something about family matters?" I prompt.

He leans back in his chair, beady eyes trained on me, scrutinising my every move. "Yes. Your father contacted me this morning... Is it correct that you had planned to stay here over the holidays?" I nod and his lips compress into a thin line. "I regret to inform you that you will be spending these Christmas holidays at your family's estate." My heart sinks. I know what's coming. "Where you will be married." A look of true regret forms in his eyes as he says this. See, Snape isn't completely heartless.

My throat constricts. My heart stops. "W-what?"

Snape clears his throat uncomfortably. "Why your father could not write to you himself, I _don't_ know." He mumbles. "Unfortunately, Miss Valliante, your father has brought forward the wedding. There is exactly eight days until you leave." He looks down at a piece of parchment on his desk – my guess is that this is where the information is recorded. "If you need anything, you're to contact myself or Headmaster Dumbledore, understood?"

I nod and stand up, taking my dismissal. "Thank you, sir." I croak, closing the door quietly behind me. My feet take me back up to the surface, heading outside toward the lake. I make sure to go to a different side as Adrian. How am I supposed to tell him? More importantly, _can_ I tell him?

I sit on a rock, below another of the willow trees that line the Black Lake. I pull my knees up and rest my face on them, the first of the tears falling, leaving hot trails down my cheeks.

My name is Helena Valliante, and I'm getting married in a little over eight days to a man I can't bear to look at because I'm in love with someone else. Adrian Pucey. My secret... I really don't know what to call him. Boyfriend? Lover? No, my _secret_.

Adrian Pucey, my secret of two years. How on earth am I going to survive?


	4. Leave With Me

**Hey everyone. The last chapter was a little short, so here's a long one! I haven't gotten many reviews, but that's okay, because I just like writing this fiction. Yes, there's been a change of summary, by the way.**

**Enjoy it, my faithful readers.**

**Chapter Four**

I'd come straight to my room as the sun had gone down. I now sit on my bed, breathing steadily, staring at the letter I had written last night. Tears cloud my vision and I wipe them away quickly.

Everyone else is at dinner, probably having a jolly time, unbeknownst to my own conflict. Shakily, I stand, walking over to my desk and dipping the quill in ink. I sign the bottom. _Helena_. A simple word full of meaning. My name.

I seal it in an envelope, stashing it quickly in my pocket before heading off to the owlery. The snow is just beginning to fall, which is quite unusual this close to Christmas. I pull my coat around me tightly, shivering at the memory of the Black Lake earlier in the day. If it had been snowing then, those four would be dead.

I sniffle and climb the icy stairs, almost slipping over once. Righting myself, I continue my climb, reaching the top with the cold air burning my lungs. I grab a piece of green ribbon and tie the letter to the first owl that swoops down to assist me. It nips at my fingers gently and I give it a gentle stroke before it takes off.

I head down to dinner, feeling my stomach rumble. As I reach the great hall, Potter and his gang walk past, looking quite pale. I briefly wonder why he even bothers with the rubbish he's gotten into. Honestly, why on earth would the kid still want to live? It's just – insane.

"Helena!" I hear Alice's voice call as I head toward the Slytherin table. "There you are. We were beginning to think you were actually angry!" She laughs. Her blonde hair sways with her movements.

"I just fell asleep." I lie easily. "You know, after being dunked in _freezing_ cold water, you tend to have the incessant need to curl up under a very thick blanket and doze off." They snicker lightly at their own handy work and I tuck into the last of the food.

"We'll see you in the common room, Hells." Alice says as she and Emily stand up, leaving me to eat in silence. My mind strays to Adrian and the letter, wondering if he's received it yet. He probably has. I wonder what he's thinking and how he's feeling, my own heart slowly breaking as I imagine his face.

I sigh and push my plate away, immediately vanishing it. I suddenly don't feel like eating. I slowly walk back to the Slytherin dungeons, deep in thought. What would he think? Would he hate me? Of course he's going to hate me. Who wouldn't hate me?

I feel miserable as I state the password to the common room. "_Survival_." The door swings open and shuts behind me as I step through. I'm two steps in when someone grabs me by the wrist.

"I need to talk to you, Valliante." Adrian grits. I nod and he lets go of my wrist, stalking off out the common room door. It slams shut behind him and I consider heading up to my dorm and hiding, but follow him three minutes later. He's hiding in our alcove. It's hidden behind a large statue of a Knight dressed in green armour, and just big enough for the both of us to have our room.

His green eyes lock on to my brown ones as I step in behind the knight. He's angry. "What the _hell_ is this?" He waves the latter in my face and I keep my face like stone. "Helena, what on earth are you on about?!" He hisses angrily.

"It's a letter. And I –" My voice breaks. His face softens as I try to hold myself together. "Adrian..." I sigh. "It's what's best."

He's instantly in my face. "No, it's not what's best. You can't – we can't. NO." He can't find the words. If this had been a different situation, I would have found that quite funny.

"It's what's best." I repeat.

"What's best? Helena, how can this be what's best? How can you stand there and say that to me? I love you, Helena. LOVE. You can't forsake my love for-for that idiotic moron!" He spits. I gulp.

"I can't keep loving you, Adrian!" I shout finally. He looks at me, shocked. "I'm getting married in eight days. EIGHT DAYS. My father's moved the wedding up. I'm to go home for Christmas and _marry_ that idiot."

"Oh." Is all he says.

I take a deep breath. "I love you Adrian, I really do, but I just – I just can't refuse this marriage. They could – they would hurt me." I say quietly. "And even you if they found out." I try to hold back the tears, but they seemed determined.

"Oh, Hells," He sighs, touching my cheek. I sniff and his thumb wipes away a tear. "I'm sorry. I didn't know..." His eyes suddenly fill with anger. "Why do they do this?!" His fist collides with the wall behind me and I look up at him scared. "Why can't we just be like normal wizards? They have to marry us off to strangers and destroy our lives!"

"Adrian..." I croak. He looks down at me, his eyes coming back into focus. "Please," I almost choke on my own words. "Just let me go."

Silence meets my ears as his green eyes bore into the top of my head. "I can't let you go, Helena." It's so quiet, almost inaudible. His hands encase mine in warmth. I finally look up to meet his eyes, startling myself. He's looking so... broken. I've done this to him. My throat constricts.

I stay silent as he stares at me. "We can't stop what our hearts have started." I never thought I'd ever hear those words. "Don't go. Stay here. Dumbledore will protect us, Helena. We just have to ask him. He will help." Now those words triggered something. "Please, Helena. Please." He begs. Dumbledore had already offered to help us when we'd asked. Maybe we can get out. _Maybe_ we can go as soon as possible and save ourselves from this bullshit.

"We don't have to. Dumbledore... we've already asked... and I think he'd agree to let us take actions earlier. Maybe." I ramble. He smiles at me with relief and something I can't quite place. Adoration? Love? I don't know, but I like it. I feel my cheeks flush. "I meant to ask you and Marcus and Emily... but then I got the letter. I panicked. I just lost it. I am so sorry, Adrian." I finally come to a stop and he grins, lifting my chin.

"I love you. Faults and all." He says, before kissing me softly on the lips. He looks down at me when we pull apart, his fingers tracing my lips. "Maybe when we get out of this mess, I can marry you." It's so softly said. Dripping with meaning. "But we need to speak to Dumbledore – now." He says, pulling me by the hand and out of the little alcove.

We walk silently through the deserted corridors, hiding from time to time from the prefects until we reach Dumbledore's office. This time, I know the password. "Dufflecake." I state, causing the statue to move aside and the spiral staircase to start moving. Adrian pulls me on it and we begin our ascent to Dumbledore's office.

I knock on the door and the old Headmaster's voice rings out with permission to enter. We do so, Adrian leading the way, and come to stand in front of Albus Dumbledore as the door closes behind us. "Ah, Miss Valliante, Mr. Pucey, what can I do for you?" His blue eyes glint with kindness as Adrian clears his throat.

"Well, I know that Helena has already been to you... but we need your help urgently." He says calmly. I feel my heart beat quicken.

"Sir, you know how you told me I had to be absolutely sure to do this... well, I'm sure. I really don't want to leave on the weekend and marry Montague. Please, help us." I say to the headmaster, my eyes meeting his as Adrian squeezes my hand. "I'm desperate."

He smiles, standing from his desk. "I believe you wish to leave here as soon as possible. And I have also already arranged things. There is a place that I have organised for you and your friends to stay at, and I will let your new keeper know that she and her home will be needed sooner than we thought." He says. "Now, Miss Valliante, I must ask you to return to your room and pack. Alert your friends, Miss Hostin and Miss Julius that you will be leaving in three hours." He looks to Adrian, smiling.

"Mr. Pucey, I suggest you do the same for your dear friend Marcus. He would also like to leave. Now, while I know Mr. Flint will be hard to persuade, I know that deep down he would like to leave his life behind as well, and start anew, just as you would with Miss Valliante." His eyes twinkle. "Go, now, and do what you must. I want you in the Great Hall at exactly midnight. You've got two hours, as previously stated. I wish you luck."

I knew Adrian would need the luck. Marcus is a stubborn idiot. Very thick at the best of times. But for some reason, I know he has suffered just as much as we have. Well, the suffering is going to stop tonight.

I fight the smile as we head back to the Slytherin Dorms together, feeling the excitement rising within me. I kiss Adrian one more time before we get close to the entrance, and we depart with wishes of luck. I reach my room soon enough, straightening out my robes. When I enter, I'm immediately being hugged tightly.

"Helena! I am so sorry!" Alice exclaims, practically suffocating me. She lets me go and looks at my happy face. "You're happy about this?" She asks incredulously.

"Happy about what?" I ask, unknowing what the hell she's on about. "What's happening?"

Emily stands up from my bed, picking up a letter. She shoves it in my face. It's from my mother. "That, Hells, what the hell do they mean you have eight days?"

"How did you get this letter before me?" I ask, eyebrow raised. Of course, they would have opened it before I did, seeing as it was from my mother. I never read her letters, so they do it for me, just in case something important is going on.

"Well, we were just doing what we usually do. You've got eight days, Helena!" Emily exclaims. "Then you have to marry –" I cut her off with a silencing hand.

"Snape told me about it," They give me a 'we already know this' look. "And well, I sent Adrian the letter," this earns a gasp from Alice. "And he confronted me about it... We've got it all sorted, girls," I can't stop the smile. "We're leaving tonight!"

They stop, silence meets my ears. "You're leaving us? I thought we were all going to go together?" Alice looks heartbroken.

I let out a small laugh. "We are, you dolt. We went and had a chat to Dumbledore. We're all meeting him in the Great Hall at midnight." I almost squeal with excitement, my heart flipping and doing all kinds of acrobatics.

They grin at me. "Helena, are you saying we'll be free in two hours?" Emily asks, unable to mask her excitement. I nod and my grin widens as they both squeal like the girls they should be and throw themselves at me, full of happiness it seems.

I smile. "C'mon, we'd better pack." I instruct. "Now, I don't know the details, but who cares, right? We're leaving. We're finally leaving." We all grin at each other stupidly as we pull out our trunks and start to pile things in them.

About an hour and half later, we're heading down the stairs, having shrunk our trunks, and out into the corridors, where we wait for Marcus and Adrian.

Soon after, the door to the Slytherin dorms opens and two figures step out. "Marcus, you'll be fine." Adrian soothes, patting him on the back. I briefly wonder how he got Marcus to agree, but brush it aside as they walk up to us, my grin widening. I fling myself at Adrian, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, please." Alice mutters, though she's smiling.

"We're leaving. We're leaving." I keep repeating this until he pulls away and pecks me on the lips, smiling at me so sincerely that my heart skips one of those pesky beats and we begin our trek to the Great Hall.

When we reach our rendezvous point, Dumbledore is waiting for us, smiling. "Well done. You're on time. Your port key will leave in five minutes." He greets happily. I want to hug the man. "Now, you're going to a place near the borders of Scotland, where there will be a woman waiting for you.

"Eleanor is a witch, but she knows things about Muggles, having lived with them for the majority of her adult life. She will teach you about their ways, whilst I will provide you with memories of all your classes, where you will use a Pensieve to watch them and do your own learning." He tells us. We all nod in understanding.

"Sir," Marcus asks gruffly, still slightly wary of the Headmaster. "Will there be any way of our location being found out?" He looks worried as he runs a hand through his unruly black locks.

Dumbledore smiles reassuringly. "Mr. Flint, I know you are worried, and I know that this idea has been spinning through your mind for quite some time. However, there is no way for your mother or father or anyone for that matter to find you or your friends. You are all very well protected." He soothes us. Alice, Emily and Marcus visibly relax.

"Now, I trust you're all packed and ready." We nod. "Each of you are to place a hand upon the chair, please." We do as he says and he looks at the clock, smiling at us. "I'll see you soon. Give my gratitude to Miss Wood for me." We all look at him in shock.

"To who -?" Alice asks, but is cut off as we're pulled through the time and space, the feeling of the port key shifting enveloping us. Seconds later, we land with a thud.


	5. Sweet Dreams

**Chapter five**

Dusting off our clothes, we steady ourselves and look around. We're in the middle of a sitting room, standing on soft carpet. We hear the clearing of a throat and turn around abruptly to find a chubby woman with mousy brown hair beaming at us. "You must be the Slytherins!" She bustles over to us and introduces herself. "I'm Eleanor Wood." Her accent is definitely Scottish and it doesn't take long for the slight clicks to sound in our brains.

Marcus and Alice are staring in shock. Eleanor chuckles. "I'm guessin' yeh know my nephew." She smiles and I look over to find Emily starting to laugh, her shoulders shaking silently.

"Yeah," Adrian says, clearing his throat. "It was awfully kind of you to bring us into your home. Dumbledore sends gratitude, as well. My name is Adrian Pucey." He puts on the charming smile and the older woman kisses his cheek.

"I'm Eleanor – Just Eleanor." She grins, though this is the second time she's introduced herself, flicking her hair over her shoulder and smiling prettily. I notice Marcus' attention on her and almost smirk.

"Helena." I take my cue and introduce myself, smiling as she kisses my cheek much like she had Adrian's. "Those two dolts over there, who look like they've just seen a muggle bashing Grindelwald, are Alice and Marcus." I say, just as they snap out of their little fits of shock... or in Marcus' case, fascination.

"Marcus _Flint_? Alice _Hostin_?" She asks, smirking quite evilly. They nod and I start to feel scared. "Oh, I've _heard_ about you two." She laughs musically when their eyes widen. "Just kidding. C'mon, I'll take you all to your rooms. I'll show you around Wood Acres tomorrow when you're all rested." She reminds me of what a mother should be like, and I think I'm going to get along with this woman.

She takes us up a set of stone stairs, down a hall littered with windows everywhere and comes to a stop at another corridor. "This, girls and boys, will be your corridor. There are thirty-five rooms in this mansion, so you each get your own room. Your names are on your doors and I'm down stairs. You'll eventually find it. Have fun and I'll see you in the morning." She says, before smiling widely and walking away.

I glance at Adrian, and he smiles, taking my hand in his gently, before leading the way. I turned to grin at Alice, my smile unable to leave my face.

There are five separate rooms down this corridor, the last one being Julia's, across from the bathroom. Marcus' room is located next to Julia's, followed by Alice's. On the other side of the long hall, my room is next to the bathroom and Adrian's, next to mine. At the end of the corridor, there's a large window, allowing us a clear view of the night sky, the stars shining brightly.

Adrian kisses my temple. "I'll see you in the morning, love." He whispers in my ear, causing me to shiver slightly.

"Good night." I smile, standing up on my toes to peck him on the lips quietly. I turn to everyone else, rolling my eyes at their grins. "Good night, everyone."

They chorus their good nights and we go our separate ways, feeling the weight on our shoulders lift. I don't bother to look around my room, instead choosing to return my belongings to normal size and flop down on the comfortable bed and blow out my candles, falling asleep quickly enough. I'm already in my pyjamas – a pair of black pants and a baggy blue t-shirt.

_The mansion loomed before them, a happy place. The masked men chuckled together, evil resonating from within their souls. It wouldn't be a happy place for long. _

_The man at the head of the pack, his wand in the air, gave the silent signal. Attack. Now._

_Silently, they moved forward, like the fog on a dark night. Consuming everything in their path. Reaching the double doors of the entrance, engraved 'Wood Acres', in one simultaneous movement, they flicked their wands and a large BOOM resounded._

"_WHO'S THAT?!" A voice called, the light of a wand illuminating the front room as a plump woman came down the stairs, a look of panic in her eyes. She stopped, dead in her tracks. "Get out of my home!" She screeched._

_The leader laughed, low and cruel, before stepping forward. "Foolish witch. AVADA KEDAVRA!" He shouted, his wand poised in his hand lightly, the tip pointed to her heart._

I sat up, gasping for the air I had compressed. Sweat beaded my forehead and I was cold all over. A chill runs up my spine and I shiver, pulling my blanket close around me. I pull my wand from under my sweat covered pillow and cast a quick spell, telling me the time. 3.47 AM.

I sigh and shudder, the remnants of my nightmare evading me. "Shit..." I mutter, taking a deep breath. Okay, I'm clam now. My heart beats slow, resuming regular pace. I fall back on my pillow, but my eyes won't close. My skin feels cold and I turn restlessly, attempting to sleep. To no avail.

I sit up and my feet find the floor automatically, relishing the feeling of the brick underneath. I feel my way to the door, stubbing my toe many times, before pulling it open. I slowly take steps down the hall, feeling for the next door, and when my hand lands on the handle, I twist it.

The door opens easily. I step inside and shut it quietly behind me, my body relaxing. I smell him, his particular smell of leather and a sweet aftershave. I inhale it like one of those muggle drugs... a 'fag', I believe.

Light fills the room in the blink of an eye and I jump about five feet in the air, my heart racing. My eyes adjust to find Adrian staring at me curiously. "Hells? What's wrong?" He stands and in a few strides he's by my side, taking my hands in his. "You're cold." His eyes bore into mine and I feel quite the opposite.

"I-I... I didn't mean to wake you... I just –" I sighed. "It's nothing, just a silly dream." I laugh at my own foolishness.

He sees right through me. "A silly dream?" He asks gently. "Was it so silly to make you cry?" He wipes at my cheeks with his thumbs, warmth radiating off his hands. I hadn't realised I'd been crying. "C'mon, love, into bed." He pulls me gently by the hand over to his bed.

I still feel nervous around Adrian, and that scares me as we climb into his bed. I feel instantly comforted. I shuffle over in the big bed and he slips in beside me, his arms wrapping around me. It becomes dark again.

"Adrian?" I whisper, my head against his chest. I can feel his heart beat through his thin shirt.

"Hmm?" He answers, his voice rumbling deeply in his throat.

"What if they find us?" I ask in a shaky voice.

He pulls back so I can see his face. He kisses my forehead tenderly. "They won't find us, Helena." He says firmly. I sigh and pull him closer. "And if they did, I'd fight until my last breath just to save you."

My heart skips a beat and the nerves surface again. "I love you, Ade, you know that, right?" I ask. He chuckles and I smile into his chest.

"Of course. Don't worry, it's returned equally, if not more." He teases. I laugh lightly and he suddenly rolls us over so I'm underneath him. He smirks. "Now that I'm awake, I don't feel like sleeping."

I snort. "You _never_ feel like sleeping." I grin in the darkness. He smiles and leans down to capture my lips with his, hungrily attacking them. I kiss back, naturally.

His lips move down ever so slowly to my neck, nipping at the spot where I'm most sensitive. I let out a muffle moan, trying to keep down the sound and he stops.

"Don't worry, Hells, there's a silencing spell on each room." He grins wolfishly and leans back down, biting down lightly and sucking the sensitive pale skin on my neck. I know that's going to leave a mark.

He pulls back and smirks proudly at his own handy work. I roll my eyes and pull his face down to mine, crushing our lips together.

My lips keep his occupied, but his hands take their chance and begin working on my stomach. He traces the curve of my hips lightly, eliciting goose bumps along my stomach. I shudder with pleasure and he smirks against my lips. It's always been his favourite technique.

"Ade..." I moan as he slips his hand up my shirt, caressing my bare breasts. He grabs a handful and squeezes lightly. He chuckles at my feral growl. His torture ceases and we both fight to get my shirt off, followed by his own.

I run my hands over his well-muscled chest. His lips are working furiously, leaving a trail of saliva behind them to cool my skin as he makes his way down my neck, to my chest and toward my nether-regions. I pull him up again and kiss him before flipping us over in one motion.

He chuckles. "Now, now, Hells." He growls, though I can tell he's amused. "I know you want to –" Adrian cuts himself off with a moan as I sink my teeth into that _spot_ on his shoulder. He quickly recovers. "We can't christen the bed on the first –" Another moan.

I giggle at him and tug on the waist band of his boxers. "Adrian," I purr. "Just shut the fuck up." He smirks and I set him free. And boy, is he ready to go.

"C'mere, you sexy little demon..." He growls huskily and pulls me up, flipping us around again. This time, I'm ready to submit.

He tugs down my own pants, taking my daggy underwear – yellow and blue polka dots – with them. He muffles his laughter in my neck, which gains heat from embarrassment. "Nice one, Hells." I grin sheepishly and he kisses my lips quickly, before looking down at me, unmistakable lust shining in his eyes.

Our hips finally crash together, making us both moan in pleasure. He showers me with kisses, and my face heats up as we both move together, grinding hard against one another, each thrust feeding the path to climax.

As we lay panting together on Adrian's bed, he kisses my temple, my head lying on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. "I love you." He says quietly.

I lift my head to look at him and kiss the edge of his lips. "I love you, too, Ade." My head drops back down to his chest, savouring the warmth.

"We've done it, Hells. We're free." His fingers are tracing shapes unknown to me. "Do you think, Helena, now we're free, do you think you'd like to marry me?"

My head comes up so quickly that the back of it connects with his jaw. "I'm so sorry!" I cry in a hushed tone. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Hells... Merlin, you have a hard head." He's grinning at me expectantly as he says this. "So? What do you say?"

"Is that a proposal?"

"It might be."

"You're going to have to work harder than that." I tease.

"I don't mean now. But if I were to ask in the future, would you say yes?" He's looking at me seriously, and though it's dark, I know exactly how his face looks, having memorised it so many times.

I kiss his lips gently, allowing them to linger as I answer. "Yes." I say softly against his lips, before crushing us together once again.


	6. Slytherins and Gryffindors Collide

**Chapter six**

**Alice POV**

The place – purely amazing. Eleanor – absolutely wonderful. She's like a mother, honestly. She cooked breakfast for us on our first morning, and has ever since, fussing over us, trying to make us comfortable. The grounds are full of green. Fields of grass circle around the mansion and I can't believe they _actually_ have a quidditch pitch...

But then again, this _is_ where the fantastical idiot that is _Oliver Wood_ lives. Which, by the way, I _still_ can't believe. I mean, where are all the quidditch ornaments and what-not? I thought that was all he ever thought about.

This place is actually... _nice_. And for the entire seven days that we've been here, I've never felt more like I was in a... home. Somewhere I could live comfortably without fear.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. And my good mood ended on the eighth day when Eleanor announced that she would be picking up her _darling_ nephew in half an hour.

She turned to us with a stern look on her face. "I'll be tellin' Olly the same; but I want you to all behave yourselves, or there'll be trouble." We all nodded, Emily looking especially amused. "Now, he doesn't know that you're all here yet. And I wanted to tell him on the way. So I'd want to be scarce if I were you when we get home."

I bit my lip. "Eleanor," I started, she looked at me curiously. "Why haven't you told him, yet?"

She grinned. "Because then he wouldn't _want_ to come home and see his aunty." She chuckled evilly and Helena and Emily burst out laughing, Marcus, Adrian and I looking quite serious.

"Oh, it'll be _fine_, guys." Helena scolds. "He's only Oliver Wood. He won't bite. Besides, he can't be all that bad. He's still human after all."

Of that, I'm not so sure. Eleanor leaves us and Emily grins wolfishly, turning to Helena. "Well, you've got to admit. He'll be great company." I raise an eyebrow, knowing that I'm probably wearing the same facial expression as the two boys. "For me, anyway."

"Oh, I _bet_." Hells agrees, sharing a grin with Em. I roll my eyes. "'Hung like a horse', and all, eh, Alice?" My face reddens. Oh, Merlin. I can't believe I actually said that.

Emily and Helena snort with laughter. I glare at them and stand from the kitchen table, making my way out of the kitchen, ignoring the laughter of my best friends and the shocked faces of the boys.

But I can't help but smile as I hear, "What do you mean, 'hung like a horse'? Julius, you weren't perving on the enemy, were you?" coming from Marcus.

I stop just long enough to hear Emily's hot retort. "Well, it's certainly better than perving on anything that looks like _your_ ugly mug." I give off a snicker and continue on my way up the halls, remembering the time she had made _sure_ he had an ugly mug.

I bounce up the large staircase and head in the opposite direction to our rooms. I find myself wandering the halls of the mansion, feeling light on my feet again and bouncing around. I look out every window I come across, marvelling at the view. The grounds, green as far as I can see; the sun high in the sky. Peaceful.

Suddenly, there's a very loud yell. More like a screech. But y'know, technicalities. "YOU WHAT?!" I know that voice. I stop, leaning into the rare shadow of the hallway as stomping steps can be heard coming my way.

"I've taken them under my wing, Oliver. And I've told them to behave themselves, and you should do the same, boy, or I'll have your head!" She yells after him.

"Aunty El! They're SLYTHERINS!" He scolds, I can hear them coming closer and closer, the yelling becoming louder.

"They're also human beings, Oliver!" She shouts back. They come into my view and I push myself more into the wall, not wanting to be caught in the argument, though I would _love _to give that good for nothing, idiotic, ridiculous, stupid arse –

"They're murderous little blighters! Who think the world should be perfect without those who aren't _pure_!" He spits. "Why would you want them in your house?!"

"Everyone makes mistakes, Oliver. You know that more than anyone." She says calmly. They're standing outside a door now, the one I assume is Wood's room. Eleanor waves her arms around, her hair falling from its bun. "You canna judge someone on their past!"

"I can and I will! You _know_ how much I despise them! Yet you bring them HERE! Of all places!"

"They're SAFE here, Oliver!" She shouts back. "And whether you like it or not, they stay. They aren't going to be kicked out or treated like rubbish in MY HOUSE!" My heart warms at her words and I feel the attachment grow. "You will NOT disrespect them here, Oliver Heath Wood! They are here for a new start, a new life! You canna take it away from them!" She shouts and storms off in a rage.

Wood lets out a yell of anger and I flinch. "ARGH! DAMN THEM!" His fist connects with the stone walls and I can't help but let out a gasp. His head snaps up at the sound and his eyes search the hall until they land on me, against the shadowed wall. "What do _you_ want?" He spits.

I scowl and step out of the shadow, calming myself. "Certainly not to be near you." I spit back, turning from him.

"Then why don't you just leave?! Go back to where you came from!" He shouts.

My blood heats up to boiling point and I feel the anger fill me. I turn around, glare fixed in place. "Do you think I _want_ to be here, Wood?" I ask venomously. "Do you think I _want_ to be on my knees, begging for a new start, to get away from all of that?"

"I don't think you're here for a _new start_," He says in the same low voice. "I don't know why you're here, but it's not good. I don't know what you're planning, but I will stop you before you can kill _more_ of my family."

"How _dare_ you?!" I suddenly shout, the anger getting the best of me. "You assume that we're here to what? Wreak havoc and kill you? HAH! Why can't you get it through your _thick skull_ that we're not all EVIL!" My chest is heaving. "I've come here to get away from the prejudice, get away from everything that involves those idiotic _purebloods_, who think they own the world!"

"You're all the same! Liars! Bastards! How do I know you aren't here to finish the job one of your daddies started?!"

"Look, I know you've probably been hurt, and probably by someone my _parents_ know, but I am not like that! Marcus, Emily, Helena and Adrian are NOT like that! You have no idea what we've been through. We've probably seen more horror than your small mind could ever imagine!" I screech, suddenly feeling my sanity slip away. I have no control now.

"What YOU'VE been though?! Hah! You have no idea what I'VE been through! My parents were murdered in front of my eyes! My sisters raped and my brothers decapitated! I was the only one to survive because I was shoved in a secret door!" He shouts, brown eyes filled with, what I guess is identical anger to mine.

My stomach twists, my heart panging with sympathy. But as he glares at me, I realise I'm not done yet. It was NOT my fault. "That doesn't mean we're all like that! You think that just because you've been through hell, that we can't have gone through something just as worse?" I scoff loudly. "From the age of six, I was beaten. When I was twelve, I was _crucio_ed for refusing to use it on my sister! You're NOT the only one who has suffered!"

"You know NOTHING of suffering!" He retorts angrily. "You've only ever been beaten! I lost almost everyone I loved! I watched them die!"

"My life has been HELL because of the people who SHOULD love me! I've been so close to death, but never able to reach it, because I've been wrongfully revived! How DARE you assume I've had a good life! Not everyone has to SHOW that they've grieved, that they've been hurt so badly it's hard to breath just thinking about it! Get over yourself!"

"Why don't you just do the world a favour and finish the job?!" He spits disgustedly.

And I don't know what possessed me to do it. I really would not have a clue. My hand just moved on its own and collided with his left cheek with a painful sounding _slap_. And I start running, not taking the time to look at the stunned face of Oliver Wood.


	7. If it's Wood, it Has to be Good

**I'm SORRY! I've been so busy lately with year twelve and I haven't had time to write! But never fear! I have a treat for you! This chapter is specifically done for the _'If it's Wood, it has to be good' _challenge! Here it is!**

**Chapter Seven**

**Alice's POV**

"Are you okay?" Adrian drops down next to me on the grass. I don't need to look up to find Helena staring at me worriedly. "Alice?" The sun is going down and I've been out here for hours.

"I'm fine." I answer, feeling as though I could rip his head off for just asking that question. "You guys heard us?"

Helena snorts, flopping down in front of me and crossing her legs. "Who couldn't? Honestly, Alice, you could scream down half of Britain." I let out a breath of laughter at her words and smile slightly. "He's a cranky bastard." She states.

"He's probably still sore from the quidditch game." I said, grinning at the memory.

"Hey, you liked it, remember. And if I must say so, Wood has _definitely_ got some good wood." Helena teases. Adrian clears his throat and raises an eyebrow at her. She flushes pink and bites back her laughter. "I'm just saying, babe. You know he's got nothing on you."

"There you are!" Eleanor's voice booms out as she comes into sight. She's smiling widely. "C'mon, you lot. Your education on the muggle world starts now!" We look at her confusedly. "We're going out for a night on the town."

"Aren't we... a bit _young_?" Adrian asks, always the intelligent one.

She chuckles. "Yes, of course you are. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little bit of fun. We've got you all some fake I.D cards. Albus and I both believe you mature enough to try these clubs that the muggles seem to like." We blinked at her and she grinned. "You've got outfits on your beds. Go, go! We leave in an hour." She bounced off.

"Alright, c'mon, ladies. We're going out tonight." Adrian smirks and pulls Helena up with him, a hand around her waist. I feel a tinge of jealousy as I watch them walk away, and quickly shove it away, running to catch up.

True to Eleanor's word, we find a set of clothes on our beds. I grin when I pick up what is supposedly a skirt. Helena comes in, looking affronted. "What's wrong, Hells?"

"The thing that I have to wear... it's... scary looking." She's quite pale.

I hold up my skirt and she blanches even more. "Even scarier than this?" She shakes her head and backs out. "Just be thankful, Hells." I grin and she's gone.

I pull on the black leather mini-skirt – the one that looks like it could be a _belt_ – and cringe as I look in the mirror. My legs are ghostly. "Bugger." I say, but then shrug and pull on the button up shirt. Looking down to at the shoes, I'm thankful that they're not what Parkinson likes to wear; instead they're flat slipper-looking things. I pull them on and head out to find Emily.

"You PRAT!" She yells. Marcus is standing in front of her, holding back his laughter with a great feat. "How DARE you?!"

"What? All I suggested is that you should memorise your contraceptive spells." He says cheekily. I can see this is going to become gruesome. I lean on the wall and watch.

"You insinuated that I'm a SLUT!"

"Well you do look like one, Julius."

I gasp at this, watching as Emily's face goes from pink with anger to red with hatred. She's breathing deeply, trying to calm herself down, and all it's doing is fuelling her anger. "You-you-you!"

"WHAT is going on in here?!" Helena screams, coming out of her bedroom, wearing a dress that comes up above her knees. It looks fantastic, but I can see why she was scared. Helena and revealing dresses – they don't mix. She likes to be... er, conservative.

"He's calling me a slut!" Emily shouts, glaring at the offender.

Helena gasps and Adrian comes out of her room, looking quite ruffled and annoyed, until he takes in the scene before us. He smirks. "Marcus, Marcus, _Marcus_. Haven't you learnt your lesson yet? When you insult Julius, you've got to remember to do it when she's _not around_." Smart arse.

"Adrian!" Helena admonishes, though she's fighting the good fight with her smile.

"Argh!" Emily stomps off to her room, and I get the feeling Marcus' words hurt more than he knew. I follow her and close the door behind us. She falls onto her bed, knowing full-well that I'm standing at the end of her bed, looking down with an eyebrow cocked. "He's such an arse."

"I know. Don't let his words get to you, Em. He's just an idiot. There's no point listening to him. Besides, you can't look any more like a slut than me." I gesture to my own attire and she sits up, looking at it, before frowning and pulling out her wand.

"_Elesco_." She mutters and my skin tingles warmly. I look down at my pale legs to find them graced by a light tan. I grin. "You really need to wear skirts more often, Alice. You've got the legs for them. All that Quidditch you play."

I grin. "You don't even _need_ Quidditch to get your legs looking like that. That skirt looks lovely on you, Em. Don't let Marcus ruin it for you." I point to her

"Stupid Flint." She mutters before sitting me down rather forcefully on her bed. She takes my blonde hair into her hands and in a few seconds, it looks like it's been done professionally into that 'rock star' look. "You look great tonight. No doubt you'll get a few blokes."

"We're seventeen, Em. I doubt we'll even find someone who will be remotely our age." I say sceptically.

"I like my men older. Twenty-one isn't too bad. They're more mature." She says, looking quite miffed at her own words. I know she's in love with Marcus. Getting her to admit it, now, that's the task.

I laugh lightly and pull her up, "C'mon, Helena probably needs some help, too."

An hour later, we stood in front of a muggle club called _The Stuff_. Music pulsed from inside and lights flashed different colours.

"Are you sure 'bout this, Aunty El?" Wood asked, looking unsurely at the building. He had gone off his rocker when he'd seen our outfits, and Emily had taken great pleasure in the obvious look of secret yearning in his eyes.

"Yes, 'course I am. You'll have a good time." She said, smiling brightly at us. She suddenly turned serious. "However, you are no' to drink any o' their alcohol. Soft drinks for the lot of you, or there'll be trouble." She said sternly.

A chorus of agreement rang out and we moved to stand in the line. We'd all been given Muggle I.D's, showing that we were all eighteen. I grinned as the women in front of us began singing loudly.

"Whoa-oh-oh! Got totally crazy! Forget I'm a lady! Men's shirts, short skirts! Whoa-oh-oh!" They sang.

Emily and I both looked at Helena, and the three of us promptly burst out laughing. The women were quite obviously drunk. Marcus and Adrian were controlling themselves whilst Wood was flat-out laughing with us. The ladies turned around and gave us short curtsies, thanking their 'wild audience'. We felt like fools for laughing so hard, but it was simply irresistible.

We reached the entrance within half an hour, and the boys were restless, complaining quite loudly as the bouncers checked our I.D cards and waved us through, giving Emily a look that was laced with lust.

"Wow! This is amazing!" Em exclaimed from inside the club. I grinned and truned around to find Helena looking flustered.

"What's wrong, Hells?" I asked loudly, over the music.

"Nothing... I'm just... I'm being _ogled_ at!"She complained, pulling the bottom of her dress down self-consciously. True to her word, she was being ogled at. So was Emily and... funnily enough, so was I.

I laughed. "Enjoy it, Hells!" I exclaimed, pulling her toward the dance-floor. She gripped Emily's hand and dragged her along with us and I found myself lost to the music. My hips moved to the throb of the beat and my hair went crazy.

I somehow lost Emily and Helena in the crowd, but I didn't think twice about it. They were probably with the boys. Having their own fun.

I felt a hand caress my bum and I turned around quickly, still dancing – unable to stop. A bloke, probably in his late twenties and _very _good looking, was licking his chops. I felt my cheeks heat up a little as he pulled me close and began grinding into me, a little bit _too_ happy to dance with me.

I pushed away, feeling uncomfortable suddenly. "Excuse me." I said loudly, turning away. He gripped my wrist painfully and I wrenched it away, to no avail. He was clinging for his life.

Somehow, I he managed to catch both of my wrists, pulling me closely to him and grinding into me again. "I want you." He said over the music, his mouth coming all too close to my ear.

"Yeah, well, I don't want you!" I said, pushing away again. But he would _not_ let go. "Look, mate, I'm _NOT INTERESTED_!" I gritted out.

"I know you are, babe. Why else would you make yourself look like such a... treat?" He sneered, gripping me tighter.

He was suddenly pulled back from behind and I was pulled with him. "You prat!" A familiar voice rang out above the music as the sleaze was ripped away from me and a very angry Oliver Wood began pounding him in the face with his fists.

I screamed. "WOOD! STOP!" I pulled him away roughly, surprising us both with my strength. "Stop!"

By this time the dance floor was clearing, making way for the bouncers who were coming to see what was going on.

"Oi! What happened?" They shouted, pulling both Wood and the Sleaze out of the crowd. The music was turned up again.

"That arsehole laid into me!" The Sleaze exclaimed, wiping the blood off his face. Honestly, he must have been weak if a seventeen year old could take him out!

"He was trying to rape her!"

"Look, mate, I didn't know she was your girlfriend. But she wasn't objecting." He put his hands up in surrender.

I saw Wood's eyes flash. "She's not –"

"I WAS objecting, actually! Quite loudly, you bastard! And he is NOT my boyfriend." I interjected angrily.

"You were loving it, slut." Sleaze retorted.

I glared at him, about to open my mouth and protest when I was cut off by the security guy. "We don't care; just get the hell out of our club." He said, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

I sighed angrily and walked out with the bouncers bringing up the rear with two seething boys. We were left outside and with one final shove, the Sleaze walked off in a huff, leaving me standing awkwardly with Wood.

"Thanks, Wood. For helping me back there." I said leaning against the wall.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Not that you deserve it." He commented.

"Well, thanks anyway." I said testily. He watched me for a few minutes, before looking away. "What?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing, nothing at all." I looked at him questioningly and he smirked. "You just look... y'know... un-Slytherin." He snorted to himself and I looked at him like he was crazy. "Well... you just – it's like you've lost all the nastyness that comes with your robes."

"Just because I'm in a short skirt and tight top, I don't look... Slytherin?" I asked. He'd gone mad.

"A short _leather _skirt – the ultimate sex symbol, by the way." He corrected, and then cleared his throat, realising what he'd just said. "You actually look human, that's all." He said casually.

I opened my mouth to retort, but was once again cut off for the night when a drunk woman stumbled into Wood's back. Lucky, oh-so lucky for me that he was standing directly opposite me. Note the bloody sarcasm. He was thrown onto me, his hands coming to land on the wall next to my head. His body pressed against mine.

"Cassie!" A woman snorted with drunken laughter in the background, helping her friend up off Wood, as his eyes were trained on mine.

I looked up, my breath coming in shorter by the second. His eyes were no longer that light hazel, but the colour of dark chocolate, looking down at me with something sinister in his eyes.

He leant down, my eyes fluttering closed as I felt his hot breath on my oh-so cold lips. I have no idea what on earth possessed me to do it. I really don't. I leant up that extra centimetre and pressed my lips to his. We pulled away in shock, staring each other down.

That was when I did the most Slytherin thing I could. "Is that your wand, Wood, or are you just happy to see me?"

He stepped back, eyes wide. I could practically see his thoughts. _Did we just do _that_?!_ I shared his sentiments.

The next thing I saw, a hand tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around. "Hi," A voice said shyly. I recognised her as the woman from earlier with the friend, Cassie – the person to blame for the predicament. "Uh, I'm really sorry about Cassie, she's a little bit drunk." She giggled.

I rolled my eyes as he smiled charmingly. "No problem." She fluttered her eyelashes and flirted back. Hadn't she realised he was only _seventeen_?!

"I'm Isla. Isla Huttinson." She held out her hand and I scowled even more.

He grinned stupidly. "I'm Oliver Wood. And I've heard all the jokes about my name, so don't bother." He laughed and took her hand, turning it to place a kiss on her knuckles.

I found myself glaring at this Isla. Stupid muggle. _Cradle Snatcher!_ I yelled out in my mind. And she was. He's only bloody seventeen. And she's – what? Fifty? Okay, maybe not fifty... but in her twenties! I seethed as they flirted.

I wasn't jealous. I wasn't.


End file.
